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Acts of Andrew

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The Acts of Andrew, from the New Testament apocrypha, is most likely a 3rd century work. However, it is widely thought to have been based on an earlier early 2nd century version, since it is silent about Jesus as an historical figure, doesn't mention church liturgy or ritual, and seems unaware of potential criticism of its theology by any other writers. There is an early fragment in Coptic, but such fragments have been edited from Greek originals.

Eusebius of Caesarea knew the work, which he dismissed as the production of a heretic and absurd. The Acts of Andrew is often classed as a gnostic work, but one of the principle academics in the field, Geoff Trowbridge, asserts that it stresses the importance of martyrdom throughout, which is very inconsistent with gnostic thought.

The text is thought to have been based on the Acts of John and the Acts of Peter, and quite a few academics have proposed that they may have been written by the same author. Like these works, the text chronicles the purported travels of the apostle, and miracles he is said to have caused, and ends in an account of his death.

Like the Acts on which it appears based, the miracles are fabulous, and heavily supernatural. For example, aside from healing the blind and raising the dead, he calms storms, defeats armies single handedly by crossing himself, and survives being put to the beasts. There is also much moralising; Andrew also rescues a boy from his mother's intention of committing incest with him, so she bears false witness and has her son arrested, but there is a miraculous earthquake that frees them; Andrew also causes an embryo to become dead, since it was illigitimate. Even when crucified, the miraculous behaviour does not stop, and Andrew manages to give sermons to people for 3 days whilst on his cross.